Voting-machine.



J. A. BUTLER.

VOTING MACH|NE. APPLICATION FILED FEB-15,1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. BUTLER, 0F WOLLASTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSTG-NOB. T0 AMERICAN VOTING MAGHINE COMPANY, 013 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

VOTING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6,1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. BUTLER, of Wollaston, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Voting-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

This invention has reference to improve ments in voting machines and resides particularly in the means whereby a print may be taken of the vote cast at any time.

The object of th'invention is to so con struct a vote printing device for voting machines that in moving over the vote counters in one direction pressure may be applied to effect the printing of the characters on the vote counters, while in the movement of said device in the other direction said pressure device. or devices may clear said.

counters.

Another object of the invention is to provide independent pressure devices for the several voting columns.

Another object of the invention is to improve the construction of the pressure described and pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1, represents a View in elevation of parts of a voting machine provided with the improved printing mechanism. Fig. 2, represents a vertical sectional view of the same taken on line 2 Fig. 1. Fig. 3, represents an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 Fig. 1 to show, more.

particularly, the main pressure roll carriage in the projected position. Fig. 4:, represents a similar view showing said main carriage in the retracted position. Fig. 5, represents a plan view, partially in section, of one of the independent pressure rolls and its frame. Figs. 6 and 7 represent respectively, end and side elevations of a pressure roli carrier frame and its roll, illustrating a modified construction thereof.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout.

Voting machines of the nature herein referred. to, among other characteristics, comprise a series of vote counters generally arranged in columns and having rotatable disks on the peripheries of which are raised digits or characters. At times it becomes deslrable to ascertain the vote cast as represented by the'groups of numerals, digits or characters on the vote counters and the slmplest manner of accomplishing such procedure has been found to be to take a printed impression of the raised numerals or characters of said vote counters which, in their actuation to record the vote, have been brought to a certain position at which printmg pressure may be applied thereto.

Owlng to the preferred arrangement of the vote counters in columns and the usual irregularities in the adjustment of a large number of parts it is difficult to secure a satisfactory impression from all of the vote counters with a single pressure device operating simultaneously toward all of said counters or, as a matter of fact, toward or against several of said counters at the same time and one of the main objects of my present invention is to provide a pressure device whereby pressure may be applied independently to the individual groups of numerals or characters of the several vote counters.

As shown in the drawings in its preferred form 10 represents the vertical partition or plate member of a voting machine having ends 11, 11 and on said member 10 is mounted any desired number of vote counters or registers 12, '12, the frames of which form ways and have a series of rotatable disks 13, 13 furnished on their peripheries with raised digits or characters. As is well known, such disks are rotated intermittently through the operation by the voter of mechanism which forms no part of the present invention and the final arrangement of the digits or characters of the several disks of each vote counter 12 is intended to register the number of votes cast as represented by the number of actuations of said disks. Sustained in position to overlie sai'i counters or registers 12, 12 or certain thereof is the inking sheet or strip 14: preferaoly carried by the roll 15 above said counters 12, 12.

Provision is also made to sustain the sheet or strip of paper 16, preferably by means of the roll 17, so that pressure applied to said paper 16 at a point opposite any of the counters 12, 12 will result in pressing the paper 16 and the inking strip 14 against the raised numerals or characters of said;

counter whereby an inked impression of said numerals will be made through the inking strip 14 on to the surface of paper 16.

On the ends or members 11, 11 of the voting machine are the vertical ways or tracks 18, 18 in or on which travel the rolls 19, 19 of the pressure carriage end members 20, 20 which latterare connected by shaft 21. Mounted to'swing on shaft 21 are the arms 22, 22 which carry the'cross member 23 which carries a series of independent pressure rolls or devices 24, 24 preferably rotatably mounted between the arms 25, 25 which are slidable in bores of the attaching frames 26, 26, saidrarms being under spring pressure to constantly move outward.

The main pressure carriage, comprising the arms 22 and the cross member 23, is arranged to be projected toward the vote counters 12, 12 at certain times and at other certain times to be retracted. This provision consists of the hubs 27, 27 located between the end members 20 and the arms 22 and having the radially extending levers 28, 28 and each of said hubs having a pair of pins r 29 and 30 disposed eccentrically of each other on said'hubs and engaged in bores or bearings respectively of the end members 20,- 20 and of the arms 22, 22 so that when said levers 28 are swung downward, as shown in Fig. 3, the upper ends of arms 22, 22 are swung to carry or project the pressure rolls toward plate member 10 and the vote counters 12, 12 thereon while, when said lever 28 is swung 11 Ward as shown in Fig. 4, the upper ends 0 arms 22 are swung backward or retracted to a position or path in which said rolls 24, 24 may clear said counters 12, 12 when moved vertically so that no impression will be made. Such swinging of the levers 28 is accomplished by the pins 31 and 32 fixed respectively at the lower, and upper portions of the frame end member 11 and by the movement of said pressure carriage relative to said pins.

The movement of the main pressure carriage carrying the independent pressure devices may be accomplished in any desired manner, manually or by mechanism but I prefer to employ the operating mechanism 'shownin the drawings in which the cable 33 is attached to the carriage member 20 and extends overthe guide pulley 34 at the upper portion of frame end mem er 11, the ends of said cable extending downward and being secured in the grooves of drum 35 on shaft 36 which is journaled in the machine and is provided with the operating crank member 37. 7

With the pressure carriage in the elevated position shown in Figs, 1 and 2 it will be understood that said carriage is in the projected or pressure position and that if shaft 35 is operated to move said pressure carriage downward the independently acting pressure rolls 24, 24 thereof will travel against the frames of the vote registers and will exert pressure to press the paper 16 and the inking {strip 14 against the raised numerals or characters of the respective vote counters or registers 12, 12 of the columns to which said rolls are related and if some.

of said counters or registers 12, 12 are slightly more prominent than others, said rolls may accommodate such variation be cause of the yielding of the frames of said rolls. v.

By the arrangement of the vote registers in columns and byhaving the side frame members thereof extending in line with the peripheries of the several groups of disks 13, 13' the pressure rolls travel on the ways of characters on the series of disks 13, 13.

That is the characters in actual printing position would be printed as well as the preceding and succeeding characters.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown pressure rolls having frames of modified construction in which the arms 38 are secured to the carriage member 23 and have studs on'which the roll frames 39 are pivoted, said rollframes having depending members 40 having stops 41 and connected with the arms 38 by drawing springs 42 which resist the outward swinging of said members 40.

Having thus described my invention I Patent. l v

1. A printing device for a voting machine having printing vote registers arranged in columns, comprising a carriage mounted to travel with respectto said vote registers, a member movably mounted on said carriage, a series of independent pressure devices yieldably mounted on said member, and means for effecting the movement of said member to carry the pressure devices to printing position.

2. A printing device for voting machines having printing vote registers comprising a carrier movably mounted with respect to said vote registers, a series of independent pressure devices, and frames for said pressure devices mounted on said carrier to yield independently.

3. A printing device for voting machines having printing vote registers arranged in columns, comprisinga carriage mounted to travel with respect to said registers, a rigid claim as new and desire to secure by Letters travel with respect to said registers, a member movably mounted on said carriage, means on said carriage and engaged with said 'member for effecting the projection and retraction of said member, and a series of pressure rolls. having frames yieldably mounted and carried by said mem r.-

5. A printing device for voting machines having printing vote registers arranged in columns, comprising-a-carri'age mounted to travel with respect to said registers, a member mounted to swing on said carriage, an actuator for said carriage rotatably mounted and having a pin.eccentric tothe axis of said actuator engaged with said swinging member, means for effecting a rotative motion of said actuator, and a series of pressure devices mounted v on said carriage member.

".6. A p nting device of the nature described co pr1sing vertical ways, stops located at the ends of said ways, a carriage traveling on said ways, a pressure device carrier pivotally mounted on said carriage, a series of independently yieldable pressure devices mounted in said carrier, an actuator member located between said carrier and one end of said carriage and having eccentrioally disposed pins journaled respectively. in' said.

carrier and said carriage, an arm extending from said actuator'and adapted to be intercepted by said stops, and means for moving said carriage.

7. A'printing device comprising vertical ways, stops located adjacent the ends thereof, rotatable pulleys. at the ends of said ways, cables on said pulleys, a carriage traveling on said ways and attached to said cables, a carrier member pivotally mounted on said carriage, means having an extension adapted to-be intercepted by said stops for swinging said carrier, a'series of guides mounted on said carrier, a series of pressure rolls having frames furnished with arms slidable in said guides, and springs acting to resist the movement of said arms in one direction.

JAMES A. BUTLER.

Witnesses:

HENRY J. MILLER, Es'rmm C. MURPHY. 

